ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Centre has amended the Legal Metrology  Rules 2011 to protect the interest of consumers
New provision has been introduced which makes it mandatory for the unit sale price of the commodity to be indicated on the package
The number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package shall be mentioned in the pre-packed commodities
The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today informedthat the Government has amended the Legal Metrology  Rules 2011 vide GSR No. 779  dated 02.11.2021.
In order to protect the interests of consumers, a new provision has been introduced which makes it mandatory for the unit sale price of the commodity to be indicated on the package. This will allow the consumer to take an informed decision, irrespective of the size/quantity of the commodity being packed in the package.
In order to remove the confusion in the case of items sold by number, the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package shall be mentioned in the pre-packed commodities.
Vice President's Secretariat
Caution to public on fake social media ID of Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu
This is to caution the general public that a person impersonating as the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, is sending WhatsApp messages soliciting help and financial assistance from the mobile telephone number 9439073183. There is a possibility that such fake messages could emanate from more numbers.
The Vice President’s Secretariat has alerted the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs after the issue was brought to the Vice President’s notice.
It is learnt that the impersonator has sent such WhatsApp messages to several VIPs.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government institutes Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar
Government has instituted an annual award titled Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar. The award is to be announced every year on 23rd January on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
In the aftermath of any disaster, many organisations and individuals work silently but effectively to alleviate suffering of the affected population. Their immense contribution and selfless service to humanity often goes unacknowledged. Keeping this in view, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has advised to institute a National Award so as to recognise the efforts of such organisations and individuals.
All Indian Citizens and organizations, who have excelled in areas of Disaster Management; like Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Rescue, Response, Relief, Rehabilitation, Research/ Innovations or Early Warning are eligible for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar. The award scheme for the year 2019 was given wide publicity and nominations of the award were solicited from 19th Dec 2018 onwards. Last date for receipt of Nominations was 07th Jan 2019. The response to the award scheme was overwhelming with over 300 nominations from Institutions and Individuals.
For the year 2019, 8th Battalion of National Disaster Response Force  located at Ghaziabad has been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for its commendable work in Disaster Management. The Award recipient will receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh:
- The 8th Battalion of NDRF was raised in 2006 and is a highly specialised Rescue and Response Force with large area of responsibility covering National Capital Region , Uttarakhand, Western UP & Haryana.
- It has participated in 314 major Operations and rescued over 50,000 people. In the recent Kerala Floods, the battalion rescued 5338 victims & evacuated 24,000 persons to safety. Other major disasters in which this NDRF battalion participated are Leh Cloud Burst , Kedarnath Floods , Cyclone Hudhud , Chennai Floods  and Tripura Floods . The battalion had worked efficiently to neutralise the threat during Radiation Incident at Mayapuri, Delhi during the year 2010.
- They have also done commendable Disaster Management related work internationally. In the aftermath of Nepal Earthquake in 2015, six teams of the battalion were amongst the first responders to land at Kathmandu. Their teams were also sent to Japan during Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster  and recent Tsunami in Indonesia .
- In addition to the response and relief work, the 8th Battalion NDRF has trained large number of first responders from SDRF, NCC, Civil Defense, Homeguard, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and Nepal Police. The Community based Capacity Building Programmes run by the battalion has benefited over nine lakh people.
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Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
JNPA handles 5.68 Million TEUs in FY 2021-22 ; Highest ever for any financial year
In a landmark achievement, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority , India’s premier container port handled 5.68 Million TEUs during FY 2021-22 against 4.68 Million TEUs in 2020-21, a 21.55% increase. This performance is the highest ever at Jawaharlal Nehru Port for any financial year compared to 5.13TEUs in 2018-19.
The total traffic handled at JNPA during the April-2021 to March-2022 of the FY 2021-22 is 76 million tonnes, which is 17.26% higher as against 64.81 million tonnes for the same period of last year.
In terms of TEUs, out of the total container traffic handled at JNPA during FY 2021-22, 1,244,694 TEUs were handled at BMCT; 1,186,181 TEUs at NSIGT; 1,865,587 TEUs at APMT; 947,887 TEUs at NSICT and 440,210 TEUs at JNPCT . During FY 2021-22, JNPA handled 6,278 container rakes and 1,007,667 TEUs as compared to 6,092 rakes and 921,512 TEUs in previous year. Also, during FY 2021-22 two container terminals i.e. NSIGT and BMCT crossed 1 Million TEUs mark for first time by handling 1.186 Million TEUs and 1.245 Million TEUs, registering annual growth of 52.12% & 33.39% respectively.
On JNPA’s outstanding performance and new benchmark, Shri Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPA, said, “JNPA’s exceptional performance of handling 5.68 Million TEUs during FY 2021-22 is a token of port’s consistent efforts and commitment to providing best services to our clients and stakeholders. I would like to congratulate all the employees and stakeholders for their constant support in achieving these remarkable achievements. JNPA is committed to its role in maintaining the nation’s economic growth trajectory.” The new benchmark set by JNPA portrays the port’s substantial progress in the Exim trade, maritime, and port sectors. JNPA ensures to consistently enhance its operational efficiency by maintaining global standards and serving as the port of choice for the world.
About JNPA:
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority  at Navi Mumbai is one of the premier container handling ports in India. Commissioned on 26th May 1989, in less than three decades of its operations, JNPA has transformed from a bulk-cargo terminal to become the premier container port in the country.
Currently JNPA operates five container terminals: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal , the Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal , the Gateway Terminals India Pvt. Ltd. , Nhava Sheva International Gateway Terminal  and the newly commissioned Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals Private Limited . The Port also has a Shallow Water Berth for general cargo and another Liquid Cargo Terminal which is managed by BPCL-IOCL consortium and newly constructed coastal berth.
MJPS
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Ministry of Coal
Coking Coal Import due to Limited Domestic Availability
Due to limited availability of coking coal in the country, coking coal is imported mostly to meet the requirement of steel Industry. Coking coal being an important cost component of steel manufacturing, the recent increase in international price of coking coal has impacted the cost structure of steel production. The details of imported coking coal during last three years are given below:-
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Year
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Import of coking coal 
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2019-20
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51.83
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2020-21
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51.19
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2021-22
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57.16
An MoU was signed on 14/10/2021 between the Ministry of Steel, Government of India and the Ministry of Energy, Russian Federation, on cooperation in coking coal used in steel making.
With a view to diversify the new geographical locations, SAIL signed an Agreement on 24/08/2022 with Russian Miner for supply of industry trial shipment of coking coal. At present, SAIL is procuring imported Metallurgical Coal under long term agreements from Australia, United States of America , Indonesia and Mozambique. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited  has also Long Term Agreements with various global suppliers from countries such as Australia, Canada, USA, Indonesia and Mozambique.
Use of domestic non-coking coal in a steel plant is limited to coal based DR plant technology.
This information was given by the Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Department of Space
Communication Satellite
GSAT-11, a communication satellite has already been launched. After completion of all ground tests, satellite was transported to French Guiana for launch. Further, Launch pad operations were carried out successfully, and on 6th December, 2018, GSAT-11 was successfully launched. All required orbit maneouvers were successfully done and GSAT-11 is performing in orbit as per design.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State  Development of North-Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
LAUNCH OF ‘NIRDESHAK’  SECOND VESSEL OF SURVEY VESSEL  PROJECT
‘Nirdeshak, the second of the four Survey Vessels   Project being built by GRSE in collaboration with L&T shipbuilding for Indian Navy was launched on 26 May 22 at Kattupalli, Chennai. She made her first contact with water of Bay of Bengal at 1038 hrs at the Launch Ceremony graced by the Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command. In keeping with the Naval maritime tradition, Smt Sarbani Dasgupta, launched the ship to the chanting of invocation from Atharva Veda. The ship has taken its name from erstwhile Nirdeshak which was also an Indian Naval Survey ship and was decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service in Dec 2014. Part construction of three out of four ships of SVL is being undertaken at L&T, Kattupalli as part of collaborative approach between GRSE and L&T shipbuilding. This model of Public Private Partnership shall be harbinger of future successful collaboration for Warship construction in India.
The contract for building four SVL ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers , Kolkata on 30 Oct 18. The first of class ship ‘Sandhayak’ was launched on 05 Dec 21 at GRSE, Kolkata.
The SVL ships will replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with new generation hydrographic equipment to collect oceanographic data. The Survey Vessel  ships have a deep displacement of about 3400 tons and a complement of 235 personnel. The ship is designed to operate at cruise speed of 14 knots and maximum speed of 18 knots. Bow & Stern Thrusters have been catered for better manoeuvring at low speeds required during shallow water survey operations. The hull of these ships is made from indigenously developed DMR 249-A steel manufactured by Steel Authority of India Limited.
With a capability to carry four Survey Motor Boats and an integral helicopter, the primary role of the ships would be to undertake full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys of Ports and navigational channels. The ships would also be deployed for collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for defence as well as civil applications. In their secondary role, the ships are capable of providing limited defence, besides serving as Hospital ships during emergencies.
Despite challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, GRSE has made substantial progress and aim to deliver Sandhayak, the first ship of SVL by Jan 2023. The delivery of the second ship Nirdeshak is likely by Apr 2023. Launch of the second Survey Vessel reinforces our resolve for indigenous shipbuilding as part of the vision of ‘Make in India’, and ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’. The Survey Vessels Large will have over 80% indigenous content by cost. This will also ensure that large scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units thereby, generating employment and capability build up within the country.
Ministry of Finance
Racket of Issuance of Invoices Without Actual Supply of Goods Busted In Delhi
CGST Delhi West and CGST Delhi North in a joint operation busted a racket of issuance of invoices without actual supply of goods. The taxpayer availed fraudulent Input Tax Credit for seeking IGST Refunds from Customs formations. Investigations revealed a novel modus operandi wherein the taxpayer showed supplies to SEZ for claiming fraudulent refund from CGST formations.
Devender Kumar Yadav & Sanjeev Maheshwari were the masterminds who created dummy firms and also opened bank accounts. Sh. Bhawani Shanker Sharma, was the accountant who prepared the fake documents and also filed returns on the basis of fake invoices. One person Vinod was shown as proprietor and assisted in the operations of these firms. All four have been arrested and remanded to Judicial Custody for 14 days by the Duty Magistrate at Patiala House Courts, New Delhi. Prima facie, fraudulent ITC of Rs.195 crores has been passed on using invoices involving an amount of Rs.847 crores.
Investigations revealed around 60 dummy firms were opened in the name of persons belonging to the lower income group. Some of these firms passed on fraudulent Input Tax Credit to firms within this group to avail IGST refund or refund against supplies made to SEZ. The accused had applied for IGST refunds from various ports across India and Rs.18.09 crores had been credited to their bank accounts. Also, three refund claims involving Rs.29.66 crores for supplies made to SEZ were filed in CGST North and West Divisional Offices which had not been sanctioned. During search operations unaccounted cash of Rs.91.92 lakhs was also seized and two bank accounts having amount of Rs.1.68 crores have been provisionally attached.
The accused have committed offence under the provisions of Section 132& of the CGST Act, 2017, which are cognizable and non-bailable under Section 132 and punishable under Section 132 of the said Act. Accordingly, the four accused were arrested on 14.09.2019 and have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Prime Minister's Office
PM welcomes Director General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to India
Dr. Tedros to take part in WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has welcomed Director General of World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to India. Shri Modi used the name 'Tulsi Bhai' for Dr Tedros, a name the Prime Minister gave to the Director General in his last visit.
Dr. Tedros will take part in WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine to be held on August 17-18, 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Responding to the X threads of Ministry of Ayush, the Prime Minister said;
“My good friend Tulsi Bhai is clearly well prepared for Navratri! Welcome to India, @DrTedros!”
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure
The15th edition of the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure 2019 released in December 2019 lays down in Table 8.1  the specific provisions for correspondence with Members of Parliament. The Manual of 2019,lays down that communications received from Members of Parliament should be attended to promptly. Where a communication is addressed to a Minister, it should, as far as practicable replied to by the Minister himself. In other cases, a reply should normally be issued over the signature of an officer of the rank of Secretary only. Where a communication is addressed to the head of an attached or subordinate office, Public Sector Enterprise, Financial Institutions  Division/ Branch in-charge in a Ministry/ Department/ Organization, it should be replied to by the addressee himself.
In policy matters, however, the officer should have prior consultation with higher authorities before sending a reply. It should however be ensured that minimum level at which such replies are sent to Members of Parliament is that of Under Secretary and that also in a polite letter form only. Normally information sought by a Member should be supplied unless it is of such a nature that it would have been denied to him even if asked for on the floor of the Houses of Parliament. As far as possible, for correspondence with Members of Parliament, pre-printed replies should be avoided. The Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedures 2019 lays down the broad processes/procedures to be followed in Ministries/Departments in Government of India. The State Governments are governed by their respective Manuals of Office Procedures.
This information was given by the Union Minister of State , Development of North Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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SNC
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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
NHAI expedites settlement of claims through Conciliation
In its endeavor for faster settlement of claims through conciliation and reduce liabilities thereby, National Highways Authority of India  has rigorously started the process of conciliation by constituting three Conciliation Committees of Independent Experts  of three members each. These Conciliation Committees are being headed by retired officials from the judiciary, senior experts from public administration, finance and from private sector.
As per Arbitration Act 2015 and its amendment in 2019, all the arbitration disputes are to be settled within a period of 12~18 months. However, the possibility of resolution of claims within 12 months is very less, as it involves various procedures. At the same time, the conciliation route ensures amicable settlement of claims in faster, fairer and transparent manner. Conciliation-cum-Settlement proceedings are completed in each case through five sittings within a period of not more than six months from the day, the reference is made to CCIE. Moreover, Conciliation as per Arbitration & Conciliation  Act, 2015 is more robust, much faster process and settlement arrived through this process have same legal value as of an Arbitral Award or decree of Court.
Till Now, 108 cases have been referred to CCIE and claims worth Rs, 13,349 cr. have been successfully settled for an amount of Rs. 3,743 cr. NHAI is working on a fast track mode to resolve all the disputes through conciliation. It will not only reduce the legal hassles of both the parties in a long-drawn arbitration process but the money stuck in arbitral cases can be unlocked for revival of private sector.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Suvidha Napkins
‘Janaushadhi Suvidha’ sanitary napkins are available for sale through retail outlets under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana  across the country at a price of Rs. 10/- for a pack of 4 napkins.
As on 18.07.2019, 5449 retail outlets are opened in the country under PMBJP. For logistics and distribution of the medicines sold under PMBJP , three modern warehouses have been established, one each at Gurugram, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
Sale of ‘Janaushadhi Suvidha’ sanitary napkins through Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras started in the year 2018-2019. As on 15.07.2019 about 28 lakh packs of ‘Janaushadhi Suvidha’ sanitary napkins have been sold under the PMBJP.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister for the Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda in the Lok Sabha today.
AYUSH
Promotion of Yoga Education
Presently there is no regulation for Yoga education at Central level. However, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga , New Delhi an Autonomous Institute under Ministry of AYUSH also conducts various Yoga education programmes. The details of the programmes are as under:
Details of Yoga Education Programmes conducted by MDNIY, New Delhi
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S. No.
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Name of the Programme/Course
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Duration of the Programme/Course
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1.
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M.Sc. 
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2 Years
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2.
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B. Sc. 
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3 Years
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3.
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Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga Therapy for Medicos and Para Medicos 
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1 Year
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4.
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Diploma in Yogic Science 
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1 Year
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5.
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Certificate Course in Yoga for Wellness Instructor
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6 months
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6.
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Certificate Course in Yoga for Protocol Instructor 
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3 months
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7.
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Certificate Course in Yoga Science for Wellness
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4 months
Further, National Curriculum Framework , 2005 recommended Yoga as an integral part of Health and Physical Education. Health and Physical Education is a compulsory subject from Class I to Class X and optional from Class XI to XII. The National Council of Educational Research and Training  has already developed integrated syllabi on Health and Physical Education from Class I to Class X.
The Minister of State , Sh. KirenRijiju stated this in a written reply in the RajyaSabha here today.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Impact of Use of Mobile and Internet on Children
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights  has recently conducted a study on “Effects  of using Mobile Phones and other devices with internet accessibility by children” with sample size of 5000 from rural and urban all the zones of the country.
As per the study, 23.80 percent of children use smart phones while they are in bed, before going to sleep which increase with age; this has adverse impact on children. Use of smart phones at inappropriate times can have detrimental impact on health and well-being of children. One such impact is reduction in level of concentration among children. As per the study, 37.15% of children, always or frequently, experience reduced levels of concentration due to smart phone use.
As per information received from NCPCR, based on the findings of the study, it recommends- a bigger portion of land in the communities needs to be identified as a playground for children that will encourage the children to involve themselves in games and sports.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
Online CSD portal for purchase of Against Firm Demand Category-1 items completes one year
The online portal of Canteen Stores Department  for purchase of Against Firm Demand  Category-1 items is completing one year of service on January 08, 2022. The AFD-1 items, such as cars, motorcycles, scooters, TVs, fridges, etc, are sold through the portal  to the CSD beneficiaries, including serving & retired Armed Forces personnel, war widows and civilian defence employees. In the last one year, 81,046 cars, 48,794 two wheelers and 9,702 other goods amounting to Rs 6,185 crore were sold through the portal.
The portal was launched by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on January 08, 2021, as part of the ‘Digital India’ initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. To celebrate the first anniversary of the success of the AFD portal, functions were held at all CSD depots on January 07, 2022. A five-minute video clip on the journey of the portal and the feedback from the beneficiaries was screened at all depots. All COVID-19 protocols were followed during the celebrations.
Some beneficiaries, who had bought items through the portal, attended the event at all depots. They appreciated the initiative of Ministry of Defence and conveyed their gratitude to the CSD team. Appreciation certificates were presented to the team behind the development and operation of the portal. Representatives from CSD Head Office, Canteen Services Directorate, National Informatics Centre, Smart Chip Private Limited and the depots were felicitated for their contribution.